The invention pertains to the general field of glass bottle shock-protective structures and more particularly to a glass bottle protective enclosure which specifically protects glass bottles containing toxic injectable medication.
One of the most effective means of storing and transporting substances, especially fluids, is the use of glass containers or bottles. In recent times, though, plastic has become the preferred material for many products that, in the past, were exclusively manufactured from glass, such as bottles. The reasons for the replacement of glass by plastic are primarily that plastic weighs less and is less expensive and easier to produce. Along with the additional safety factors, such as less chance of breakage, it is no surprise that plastic has almost completely replaced glass containers.
One of the main industries that still relies upon glass for bottles is the medical industry. While plastic bottles have replaced glass bottles in some applications, there is still a need or requirement for glass. This is particularly true for the storage and transportation of certain drugs/medicines, such as those that are toxic or susceptible to contamination.
A major problem exists in that plastic bottles have been shown to allow/cause contamination of the contents therein. Plastic bottles also allow certain (usually organic compounds) medications to be absorbed into the plastic surface of the bottle, which reduces the potency of the medication and causes difficulty in administering sufficient amounts. Some medications, especially those that are injectable, have organic solvents, which are impossible to store in plastic bottles/containers.
The only solution to these problems has been to continue storing and transporting the drugs/medications in glass bottles. Unfortunately, the glass bottles are still considered dangerous because, when dealing with toxic drugs/medications, there is always a risk that the bottle may break. This is a major concern during transportation and during use, when a glass bottle can be dropped onto a floor and broken. In an emergency room, when time is of the essence, a broken bottle of tonic drugs could cost valuable time to clean up, which could mean the difference between life and death of a patient.
Obviously, if there were some way to continue using glass bottles for drugs/medications, but with all of the safety characteristics of plastic, it would benefit those individuals who transport the drugs/medications, medical practitioners who handle and use them, and patients who receive them.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention, however the following U.S. patents are considered related:
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,090 patent discloses a removable insulating container which grips a bottle such that the container is held snugly in place. The container uses a separate lower sleeve and an upper cap which are mounted on a medicine bottle to substantially encase the medicine bottle. The container is fabricated from a multi-layer flexible material which has an impact resistant outer layer and an inner layer which forms an internal channel that grips the side of the medicine bottle. The proximal end of the lower sleeve extends past the bottom of the bottle to prevent it from impacting a surface should it be dropped.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,746,017 patent discloses a protective safety container for encasing toxic drug filled glass vials. The container includes a molded plastic body that conforms to the shape of the vial to be protected. A plurality of spaced longitudinal ribs are formed on the inner surface of the container body that act to engage the vial and hold it firmly in position. The ribs also form a cushioning air space between the vial and the container. A molded plastic annular base is snap fitted into the body so that the vial cannot be easily removed once it is secured within the container on the top of the container is a small aperture having a frangible disk that may be removed to allow a hypodermic needle to be inserted into a stopper in the vial to withdraw the vial""s contents.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,612 patent discloses a solvent and shatter resistant protector for glass bottles containing hazardous materials. The protector is comprised of opaque or transparent polymeric material and conforms substantially to the shape of the container that is protected. The container protector is made up of top and bottom portions, each having respective cooperating means, such as a special threading arrangement, for separable engagement, which enables engagement to be maintained even in the event of shocks that are sufficient to damage the protected glass container.
The U.S. Pat. No. 3,982,716 patent discloses a holder for temporarily supporting a bottle containing hypodermically injected medication. The holder is magnetically attached to a supporting surface, and securely supports the bottle so that both hands of the user are free to manipulate a syringe to withdraw the proper dosage from the bottle.
The U.S. Pat. No. 3,604,564 patent discloses a method for protecting glass articles such as jars and drink bottles from abrasion by heat shrinking a thermoplastic material around a portion of the glass article.
For background purposes and as indicative of the art to which the invention relates reference may be made to the remaining cited patents.
The glass bottle protective enclosure is adapted to be used with a glass bottle which comprises a lower section having an upper shoulder and a bottle neck with an upper opening, and a bottle cap designed to be securely attached over the upper opening of the bottle neck. The glass bottle protective enclosure which is specifically designed to contain toxic injectable medication is constructed of a transparent plastic which allows the medication labels on the glass bottle to be visible through the lower container.
The glass bottle protective enclosure in its basic design is comprised of:
a) a lower bottle container having an integral side wall and a base,
a bottle container cap having means for being attached to the lower bottle container, and
c) means for protecting the glass bottle contained within the protective enclosure from a shock impact.
The preferred means for attaching the bottle container cap to the lower bottle container is to design the upper terminus of the lower bottle container to include a set of external threads. The cap is then designed to include a set of internal threads that are dimensioned to interface with the external threads on the lower bottle container. After the cap is attached to the lower bottle container, the enclosure with the enclosed glass bottle, is sealed by the application of a shrink wrap or the like.
The means for protecting the glass bottle contained within the protective enclosure is accomplished by having the sides and base of the lower bottle container include internal shock absorbing protrusions. The protrusions can consist of a plurality of horizontal continuous or discontinuous rings, and/or stubs that interface with the surface of the glass bottle. The lower bottle container cap can also include a set of cap shock absorbing protrusions that are positioned to interface with the bottle cap.
In view of the above disclosure it is the primary object of the invention to produce a glass bottle protective enclosure that allows medicinal glass bottles and more particularly, glass bottles that contain toxic medication, to be protected from an impact and to alert a user of the medication that the enclosure has sustained a leak.
In addition to the primary object of the invention it is also an object of the invention to produce a glass bottle protective enclosure that:
1) provides a substantial level of safety for toxic drugs, chemicals or medications by protecting glass bottles from breaking as a result of dropping or other mishandling,
2) does not substantially increase the volume of the overall package,
3) provides a sealed enclosure, therefore if the bottle should break, the liquid or powder medication therein will not leak out,
4) can be designed with a base having at least one sensor cavity into which is inserted an enclosure leakage sensor consisting of either a water soluble sensor or an electronic sensor. Either sensor will alert a user of a leakage by means of a visible or audible signal respectively,
5) can be used to contain any drug/medication that is normally contained within a glass or plastic bottle,
6) can be used to protect various type and sizes of bottles and bottle caps including flip caps,
7) can be made in various colors to indicate the contents within the bottle,
8) allows labels or other indicia that is on a bottle to be visible.
9) can be easily manipulated during use,
10) provides a greater amount of comfort for transporters, medical practitioners and patients,
11) provides a means of safe transporting and storage, and
12) is cost effective from both a manufacturer""s and consumer""s point of view.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.